Ahmedabad and the Future of India

When I landed in Gujarat, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, because I had read all sorts of different things about it. Ancient, Muslim, Hindu, mysterious… It is GREAT. There is nothing that excites me more than the chaos of something beautiful and new.

I had only been in India for a week and had only been in Mumbai, so I was a little nervous of stepping out into real India, and I was right because that was the first time I felt overwhelmed and wanted to scream – which I did – and just run away.

Landing in Gujarat

I flew to Ahmedabad from Mumbai, and I already had a host I found through Couchsurfing, and I was meant to stay in Jetalpur, a small town at the skirts of crowded Gujarat, about 30 minutes from the city life.

Not only was the family amazing, sweet and caring, but the town was cozy and very beautiful. I had an amazing time, and after my adventures in Mumbai, I got to see another side of India.

Ahmedabad, historical and monumental city

Located on the banks of via Sabarmati, Ahmedabad is the largest city in the entire state of Gujarat- not to mention the sixth more populated in India.

From 1960 to 1970, it is chosen the capital of Gujarat. In any case, later the capital moved to the city Gandhinagar. The city was established in the year 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah. From time to time, is also alluded to as the city of Ahmed Shah. Ahmedabad is the central trading and trading center of Gujarat.

Ahmedabad of the past & future

The World Heritage Committee has just included Ahmedabad as India’s first UNESCO heritage city, news that gives back interest to what is one of the great cultural and historical secrets of the country.

The importance of Ahmedabad’s business makes the city a key travel destination in India. In addition to being home to several vital companies, Ahmedabad also has several magnificent historical monuments, which helps us remember the considerable chronic and social past of the city. A growing focal point for higher education, innovation, and logical data firms, Ahmedabad keeps staying in one of the vital and social business centers in West India.

Ahmedabad became the historical reflection we know today thanks to the construction of the wall known as Bhadra Fort; 10 kilometers in circumference and 12 different entrances around the ancient city. A city that contains temples and buildings in marble influences that dance between Hindu and Arabic styles. There are no shortage of carved figures, facades of a thousand shades and sunsets illuminating the ancient capital of the state of Gujarat. In one word: Amazingly complex & unique.

Arab influence can be seen in the Sidi Sayed Mosque, one of the city’s most famous buildings, while Ahmedabad’s typical temples include examples such as Hathee Singh Jain Temple with its marble facades, ISKCON Temple dedicated to Krishna, Or especially the Swaminarayan Akshardham, one of the most beautiful temples in India erected in honor of the famous god whose footprints look on the porches and which every week welcomes hundreds of pilgrims from all over the country.

Into the Horizon

But Ahmedabad also offers some of the most relaxing landscaped places, including a Sabhartha river blessed by dusk, or even more curious places such as the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad where the Mahatma lived in 1915 and today can be visited by the public.

Returning through the bridges linking past and future, the new Ahmedabad looks across the river. You will want to stay there, tracing the secrets that for six hundred years have awaited the deserved reward among the walls. Ahmedabad is not just interesting, it’s a city of the future of India.

The food

Now, I have to be honest here. I am a MASSIVE Indian food fan, but I did not like Gujarati food AT ALL. It’s all sweet! And I love sweets, but having sweet daal is not my kind of thing.

Still, you can find many varieties of food in Ahmedabad… Just don’t go for pizza either, cause it’s sweet too. After two weeks in India, I was already missing my food so I entered the local dominos and was disappointed as hell. The cafés and small time pass joints were amazing and very pretty.

The breakdown

Oh, how could I ever forget when I broke down in the middle of the street? I was walking through the market, and the city traffic caught up with me. The streets are REALLY narrow, and you have taxis, bikes, bike-taxis, cows, salespeople, cars, cows, wild pigs and the general population.

After TOO much noise, I was kind of annoyed. It is worldwide known that traffic in India is one of the most chaotic on earth. That day, it was no different. I already had a headache from people honking nonstop, and I was stuck in the middle of it all. On top, this ASSHOLE was honking right on my back, cause he wanted to go through and expected me to move. Of course, there was no space to move, so I just kept walking.

After a few minutes of him honking on my back, he decided that SINCE I was not going to move, he would hit my calves with his tire. The second he touched me with his car, I SNAPPED.

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Travelling is about experiences: The discovery, the smells, the pictures…. And what a better way to travel than to meet local friends along the way and go beyond what you see in travel guides? Follow me to these incredible destinations and learn the story behind each location!